


welcome to washington

by youcouldmakealife



Series: between the teeth [38]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 08:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6697771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcouldmakealife/pseuds/youcouldmakealife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Uh,” David says. “Good luck with your boyfriend.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	welcome to washington

It’s mid-July before David remembers that moving to a different city probably means he needs to start thinking about where he’s going to live. It isn’t that David didn’t know he’d need to arrange for an apartment, that it would be best to make arrangements early so that he wasn’t juggling training camp and apartment hunting from a hotel room. He knew that. It still isn’t until Oleg’s asking Vladislav for a few days off to look at some houses in Virginia, Kiro piping up that he could use the break to fly down to Florida, that David realises he’s running out of time.

Opportunely, Dave calls him before training the next morning, says that Capitals PR wants to get in touch with him. “Would they know of a realtor, you think?” David asks.

“I’d assume so,” Dave says. “You need my assistant to come down?” 

Last time David was apartment hunting Dave’s assistant came along, asking questions that David didn’t know he needed to ask. It was a massive relief, but David was eighteen and in over his head. He should be able to handle choosing an apartment. “That’s okay,” he says. 

“When are you going to Washington, I’ll have Andreas fly in,” Dave says.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” David says.

“Send me your schedule,” Dave says, completely ignoring him, and David books a flight to Washington for when Vladislav gave them all time off, emails the Capitals PR with the relevant information they requested and a request of his own for a realtor recommendation. They respond quickly enough that David has time to call the realtor, explain his situation, and arrange to meet the afternoon he flies in. He’s even able to send Dave his itinerary before he leaves for training, but he’s exhausted as he would be at the end of a day by the time he arrives.

“You not sleep?” Kiro asks, frowning.

“I needed to make arrangements for Washington,” David says. “I spent almost an hour on the phone this morning.”

“Ah,” Kiro says. “Phones are hard.”

David doesn’t know if Kiro’s teasing him or not, but he doesn’t sound like he is. “Seriously,” David says. “I’m exhausted.”

“You are not going to like today, then,” Vladislav says from right behind him, and laughs when David jumps half a foot.

“You really are a sadist,” David scowls.

“Complimenting me will not make me go easier on you,” Vladislav says. 

“Why didn’t you tell me he was there?” David asks Kiro.

“Your face,” Kiro says. “Your face was so good.”

“I hate you guys,” David says, scowling until Oleg makes a tragic face at him from across the room, saying “What did I do?”, and then he loses it to a laugh.

*

Dave manages to book his assistant on the same flight as David, let David know, so David shouldn’t be as startled as he is by the hand on his shoulder after he debarks. He thinks the only reason he doesn’t flinch is because Brouwer trained it out of him in those checking practices.

“Ready to go apartment hunting?” Andreas asks, instead of saying hello. 

Unlike Dave’s former assistant, who was a no nonsense woman not much younger than Dave, Andreas can’t be older than thirty, is probably still in his twenties. David’s met him before, briefly, when he’s had to go to Dave’s office, but he doesn’t really know him, and it makes him uncomfortable, a guy only a few years older than him there to fundamentally babysit him. David wishes it was Dave, but he knows Dave has better things to do than apartment hunt. Andreas probably does too. Even if David had tried to talk Dave out of it, Dave likely wouldn’t have budged, but David should have at least tried so he didn’t waste everyone’s time.

“I’m sorry for bringing you all the way out here for this,” David says.

“Hey, no problem,” Andreas says. When he smiles he does so with teeth, and they’re the kind of white David usually only sees on hockey players who just got a set of fakes to replace ones they got knocked out. David doubts that’s the case with Andreas, since David probably has twenty-five pounds on him, and David would probably be considered on the light end of the hockey playing spectrum. He looks like the kind of guy who would like racquetball. Tennis. David’s sure the second he opens his mouth he’ll prove himself to be knowledgeable, but unlike Dave, who looks like a retired hockey player, even if he isn’t one, Andreas doesn’t really look the part. 

After a drive into Washington long enough that David suspects he’s going to hate the frequent trips to the airport, they meet the realtor at her office downtown. “Mr. Chapman,” she says, “And?”

“This is my agent’s assistant,” David says. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” she says, doesn’t even blink, like that’s a normal occurrence. 

“Andreas is fine,” Andreas says. 

“David’s fine too,” David says.

“Well,” she says. “David, Andreas, I’m Melanie, tell me what you’re looking for.”

“I’m…an apartment?” David says. 

“Okay, that’s definitely a start,” she says. “What are your dealbreakers?” 

“I don’t know,” David says. 

“Any location preferences?” she asks. 

“I like downtown,” David says. “It’d be good if it was near the Verizon Center.”

“There’s certainly no shortage of apartments within walking distance,” she says.

“Practice rink and airport are in Virginia,” Andreas says. “Might be an easier commute if we look in Arlington.”

“I don’t drive,” David says.

“We’ll look into a car service,” Andreas says. “I can’t imagine that’d be a problem in DC.”

“So are we looking downtown?” she asks.

David looks over at Andreas.

“Hey, I’m just backup,” Andreas says. “You’re the one living here the next six years.”

“I’d prefer downtown,” David says. “If that’s alright.”

“Of course,” she says. “Like I said, there are a number of new developments near the Verizon Center.”

She ends up showing them three apartments clustered close to one another, all within walking distance, all new, bright, with state of the art appliances. All fundamentally the same, to David, and much the same rent-wise as well. Andreas and the realtor discuss building amenities, which David isn’t likely to use, while David wanders from room to room. He was ready to sign for the first one. Andreas insisted he see some others first, but while they all have different floor plans, they feel the same.

“They all seem good?” David says, after she’s shown the third. “I could take any of them.”

“Why don’t David and I have a coffee,” Andreas says. “Discuss them, and we’ll get back to you later this afternoon.”

“Absolutely,” she says.

“I really could take any of them,” David says after Andreas buys them drinks — coffee for him, a bottle of water for David — sits across from him on the bustling patio. David’s never understood how people can drink hot beverages on a hot day.

“No feelings one way or another?” Andreas says.

David shrugs.

“We can keep looking if none of them are speaking to you,” Andreas says.

“No, they’re all fine,” David says. “Really.”

Andreas pulls his phone out of his pocket, winces. “Sorry,” he says. “I have to respond to this.”

“Sure,” David says.

“Sorry,” Andreas says again. “I forgot to let my boyfriend know I was headed out of town, so I’m in trouble.”

He says it casually, like it’s the same as saying girlfriend, like it’s even close. David wonders if Dave knows he’s got a gay assistant, then figures he must, or Andreas wouldn’t be mentioning it to a client. Wonders if Dave’s told Andreas about David — it would make sense, forewarning his assistant in case of a Riley type situation, not that David could get caught doing anything right now. Maybe that’s why he’s saying it like it isn’t a big deal. Trying to let David know it’s fine, or something, that he gets it. 

David feels himself go hot. “I’m sorry for getting you in trouble,” David mumbles.

Andreas waves a hand dismissively. “I knew it wasn’t a nine to five job when I took it,” he says. “Did you want to go look at more places?”

“That’s fine,” David says. “I think we should go with the second place.”

They have to go to the realtor’s office to sign the papers, and the whole walk there David watches Andreas, frowning. He hadn’t guessed he was gay. There isn’t anything _gay_ about him. He’s dressed well, but he’s here for work, and David’s never seen Dave out of a suit and tie, so it’s unsurprising his assistant would dress professionally. Other than that he just looks — normal. Like any other guy in his twenties working a white collar job. David wonders what his boyfriend looks like. Andreas is good looking, his boyfriend probably is as well. There’s no shortage of good looking men in New York.

“You okay, David?” Andreas asks.

“Fine,” David says. “Just. It’s hot out. I’m fine.”

David signs a one year lease, writes postdated cheques until his hand would probably cramp were he not used to signing autographs. Andreas apparently spends that time changing his flight to the next available — probably because of the angry boyfriend, though David doesn’t ask. Maybe Dave told him to. It’s none of David’s business. 

“Have a safe trip,” David says when they split up, Andreas back to the airport and David to his hotel. “Thanks for the help.” He didn’t need it as much as Dave apparently thought he did, but he probably would have taken the first place he saw, and he does like the kitchen of the second better. 

“Hey, no problem, thanks for making it easy,” Andreas says.

“Uh,” David says. “Good luck with your boyfriend.”

“Probably need it,” Andreas says. “Thanks David.”

“You’re welcome,” David says. He has no idea why, but his heart’s going fast just wishing Andreas luck. It was just something he should say. It’s polite. It doesn’t make David gay, just saying it, it’s the kind of thing Kiro would say, or Dave. Still, somehow it had felt like an admission.

After Andreas leaves David walks around the neighbourhood, tries to orient himself, think of where he’ll be getting groceries from — there are a few smaller markets and a Safeway, so that won’t be a problem — what places look good for take out. He gets dinner at a promising looking place beside his hotel, looks up when a couple around his age approaches his table, wondering if he should have ordered it to go. 

“You’re David Chapman?” the woman asks.

“Yeah,” David says. 

“Welcome to Washington,” the woman says. “We’re really excited to have you on the Caps.”

“I’ve been a fan since you started,” the guy says. “You should have won the Calder, man, that was robbery. I mean, look at you and Lourdes now, pretty obvious who should have gone first.”

“Jake’s a good player,” David says, before he can stop himself.

“Yeah, but you’re _great_ ,” the guy says.

“Thank you,” David says. “I appreciate it.”

“Could we get a picture?” the woman asks.

“Of course,” David says.

“Sorry to interrupt your meal,” she says, when he stands to take a picture with them.

“It’s fine,” David says. “You’re the first to welcome me to Washington. I mean. Other than the team.” 

Quincy had reached out with a text telling David to let him know if he needed anything, but considering the only time David’s ever spoken to him was in the handshake line, he doesn’t feel comfortable bothering him. David knows Quincy and Oleg have been in touch, and Quincy even suggested neighbourhoods for Oleg to look at, but that’s different: captains talking, or, David supposes, a former captain and a current one. He hopes the Capitals give Oleg an A. He deserves one.

“Well,” she says. “We definitely won’t be the last, everyone’s really excited about you being a Cap. I mean, with you and Kurmazov, everyone’s thinking this could be our year, you know?”

“I hope so,” David says. “We’ll do our best.”

He eats quickly, once they leave, fiddling with his phone to look busy. Jake’s number is still in his phone, the ‘J’ above ‘Oleg Kurmazov’ in his phone book. David considers texting him ‘I told Caps fans you were a good player, you should have seen their faces’, thinks maybe Jake would get a kick out of it. Or maybe he wouldn’t care. 

_How’s house hunting?_ David sends Oleg. 

_At this rate we will have a house in time for playoffs_ , Oleg sends back. _Maria asked if you want to come to lunch with us tomorrow we are taking the girls to museum so we will be downtown_. David tries to think of the kind of place you’d take small children for lunch — the kind of place where no one cares if they make noise, he guesses, though Oleg’s daughters seem well-behaved. He doubts it’s the kind of place he’d want to go to, let alone eat.

 _Okay, let me know when, I’ll be around_ , David sends, after hesitating for a moment. 

Oleg responds with _:)_ , and David can’t hold back a smile in response.


End file.
